US food giant Kraft Foods has opened a biscuit R&D plant in France to make new products for brands including Lu, Oreo and Tuc.

The EUR15m (US$20.6m) facility in the French town of Saclay will “support product development” for Kraft’s biscuit brands and employ 120 staff.

“France is an important market for biscuits in Europe and for Kraft Foods’ snacking business globally. This investment makes good business sense, supporting us in our efforts to drive future biscuit innovation and growth,” Kraft Foods Europe president Timothy Cofer said today (21 October).

In 2011, Kraft’s European biscuit business has been growing more than two times faster than the sector in Europe, the company said.